Roller side bearing



Dec. 8, 1925 A. sTUcKl RLLER SIDE BEARING Filed June 10,

FllE.

avia 4 ARNOLD STUCKI, 0F TTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. l

ROLLER SIDIE.Y BEARING.

Application ilediJ'nne' 10, 1924. Serial No. 719,071.

To aZ yz; 0m t may concern.'

Be it known that l, ARNOLD' S'rnonr, a citizen of the United States, and a residen-t of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new 4 and useful improvement in Roller Side Bearings, of which the following,` is specilication.

rllhis invention relates to side bearings, and particularly to roller side bearings for railway cars, and other similar purposes.

t is an object of the invention to provide a roller side 'bearing which is simple, com pact, durable, economical to manufacture, easy to install and eficient in operation.

lt is a special obiect to provide side bearing of this character in which the cage is independent of both the upper and lower bearing surfaces7 which is entirely open at both its top and bottom portions, which telescopically and removably receives' the means directly supporting the lower bearing plate7 and which is automatically self-cleaning. y

lt is also a special object to provide a side bearing in which the cage is not only open at both its top and bottom and formedindependently ofthe bearing plateslproper and as a separate unit, but is freelylloating regardless ofthe various positionsA assumed by the severalV part, and which'automatically coac'ts with the top bearing plate'toY constantly exclude dust, dirt and other foreign materials from the top of the cage.

These and other objects ofthe invention will more fully appear when taken in conjun'ctionwith the following description and appended claims.

In the accompanying drawingsY Fig. l is a vert-ical sectional view through the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 a similar view taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. l; Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig, l illustrating' a modfied form of the invention; and Fig.v d a side elevation illustrating a still further modified form of the invention.

Referring to Figs; l and 2, the mail: bolster of the truck is indicated at l upon which is mounted the lower bearing` member shown at 2, and for the purpose of convenien ly mounting` the lower bearing in place, the same may be' provided with the laterally extending base flanges 3, 3 which are attached to the bolster by means of the bolts el, el. The lower bearing member 3 entends upwardly for a shortdistance above the'bolster l, and is preferably provided with a superposed wear plate 5 attached to the bearing` member in an-y suitable way, as by the rivets indicatedat, 6. Theupper surface of both the bearing member 2 and the wear plate 5 slopesdownwardly from its opposite ends towards an intermediate flat area, the intermediate-fiat area of the wear plate beingdesignated by the reference numeral 7. lt is understood that the inclination of the ex'remities towards an intermediate flat area is in itself an old feature in the art and is intended to render the free roller employed self-centering` in an obvious manner,

rllhe upper bearing plate is indicated at 8 and is suitably attached to the body bolster in accordance with the usual practice, lnterposed between the lower bearing member and the upper bearing plate 8 is a tubular cage-9. The' cage 9, in the form illustrated, is rectangularv in.v shape, being provided with the side walls, I()` l0 and thel end walls El, il but has both its top andbottomentirely open', as clear-ly shown inthe drawings. rllhe cage is of such dimensions that it readily telescopically receives the upwardly projecting lower bearing 2 within the interior thereof, and the cage which is formed as an independent or separate unit` constitutes a floating cfa-ge which is interposed between the upper and lower bearing members.

In order to constantlyv urge the cage 9 into abutting yielding contact with theupper bearing'plate 8, tension means; such the coil springs l2, 12. are interposed betweenthe flanges' 3g 3 andthe-.1 l-ower'hase ilangeslof the cage, in the mannerasclearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

A cylindrical roller 13 is adapted to rest upon and be supported by the lower bearing plate and housed within the cage. This roller is of the so-called free type, cylindrical in shape, and soproportioned that the fiat ends thereof lie a comparatively short distance from the side walls l0. l0 of the cage. rThe side walls 10, l0" are provided with the cleaning openings. le, 14C', respectively, and the end walls ll, il are likewise equipped with the/respective cleaning openings l5, 15. The cage is in fact rendered substantially self-cleaning due tothe provision ofan open bottom thereof, but the cleaning openings le, le', l5, l5 may also beY provided iffound desirable.

In operation, the coil springs l2, l2 constantly keep the upper edge of the cage 9 in Contact with the upper bearing plate 8, while at the same time permitting the bearing plate S to descend into contact with the roller 13 in the normal functioning of the side bearing. rifter the upper bearing plate 8 has been moved into Contact with the roller 13, as in rounding a curve, subsequent relative turning movement between the truck and body causes the roller to travel towards the ends of the bearing, rolling upon the inclined extremities of the wear plate 5 or the similarly fashioned bearing surface of the lower bearing member 2, as the case may be. .fia soon as the upper bearing plate S is lifted to break contact with the roller, the roller iimnediately under the influence of gravity returns to its centered position upon the intermediate flat portion 7, as shown in Fig. 1.

Bue to the formation of the cage as a independent separate unit, which freely iioats iu the manner previously described, and is constantly and yieldingly pressed upwardly into contact with the upper bearing plate regardless of the relative positions between the upper and lower bearing surfaces, all dust, dirt, and other foreign substances are effectively excluded from the top of the cage, thus effectively preventing deterioration of the bearing due to these causes. Any' foreign substances which happen to reach the interior of the cage are automatically discharged through its open bottom or the cleaning openings provided in the side and end walls thereof.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, corresponds substantially to the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, as previously described, with the exception that the resilient springs for constantly urging the floating cage into abutting contact with the upper bearing plate are omitted. .ln other respects this form is substantially identical with the first described embodiment. For this reason, it will be unnecessary to describe either the construction or operation thereof in detail. Corresponding parts of the two embodiments have therefore been designated by the same reference numerals in Fig. 3 of the drawings but with an attached exponent a.

In Fig. l there is illustrated a still further modification of the invention. In this embodiment, the end walls of the cage are indicated at 20, 20, and the rear wall of the cage is formed by the member 21, the cage being rectangular in shape as in both of the previously described forms. In n this case, however, the cage may be initially formed with but single front side wall and the two end walls 20, 20 and then suitably attached to the member 21 as by welding, or if preferred, these parts of the cage may be formed as an integral casting with the member 21.

rThe n'iember 21 may form either a part of the truck, as for instane a part of the socalled longitudinal bolster, or be attached thereto, or may for-m a part of the truck body. The particular portion of which it forms a part or to which it is attached is immaterial provided the member 21 and-the other portions forming the complete cage are constructed independently of the main bolsters of the truck and body, as well as independently of the lower and upper bearing members attached to the respective main holsters. ln this embodiment, the resilient springs 12, 12 are also omitted, the entire cage being supported in the position shown in Fig. et due to its construction or mode of attachment in the manner described.

The portions of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. el not particularly described in detail correspond to those in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, and therefore have been designated with the same reference numerals with an attached exponent 7).

It is noted that in all of the embodiments illustrated and described, dueto the fact that the cage is formed as an independent or separate unit so that the lower bearing member may be readily removed or inserted within the cage, irrespective whether the cage is in the form shown in Fig. 4, or whether it consists merely of a rectangular tubular element entirely disconnected from the truck or body.

It is thus seen that the invention provides a roller side bearing for railway cars which is comparatively simple, compact, easy to install, and efficient in operation, and when constructed in the preferred manner provides a bearing which is automatically selfcleaning, and one which functions to eectively exclude the entrance of dirt and foreign material from the open top of the cage.

l claim:

1. A side bearing for railway cars comprising a tubular floating cage having a passageway extending completely therethrough open at both its top and bottom, a lower supporting bearing movable independently of the cage and forming a unit supported separately from the cage, `and a roller operatively engaging the said bearing and housed within the cage.

2. A side bearing for railway cars comprising a lower roller supporting bearing, a floating cage forming a separate unit telescopically embracing the bearing, and a free roller supported by said bearing and housed wit-hin the cage.

3. A side bearing for railway cars comprising a lower roller supporting bearing, a rectangular floating cage open at both its top and bottom telescopically embracing the said bearing, and a free roller resting upon the said bearing and housed within the said cage.

1l. In combination in a'roller side bearing for railway cars, a roller supporting bearing for the roller, `a tubular floating Gage formed as a separate unit telesoopioally embraeing` the said bearing, a roller supported by the said lower bearing' disposed within the cage, an upper bearing member positioned above the Cage, and resilient means for yieldingly urging the cage into abutting' relation with the said upper bearing' member.

1n combination in a roller side 'bearing for railway oars, a lower bearing member attached to the truck bolster, an upper bearingl member attached to the body bolster, an independently formed tubular floating- Cage open at both its top and bottom interposed between the said bearing,l members, a Jfree roller supported by the lower bear' ng member and housed within the Cage, and resilient means for Constantly urging` the cage upwardly int-o yielding' abutting' Contact with the upper bearing member.

G. In Combination in -a roller side bearing for railway ears, an upwardly projecting bearing` member attached `to the truck bolster, an upper bearingl plate Carried by the bod),7 bolster, an independently formed floating Cage having side and end walls open -at both its top and bottom teleseopieall)7 embracing the lower bearing member, a free roller disposed within the Cage and supportn ed by the lower bearing member, and resilient tension means for constantlyv urging the cage into Contact with the upper bearing)` plate, said upper bearing; plate having an area greater than the top ot the cage whereby` to completely cover the saine.

7. A side bearing for railway ears eomprising` a lower roller supporting bearing, an upper bearing; spaced above the said lower bearing, a tubular cage open at both its top and bottom providing a passageway extending completely therethrough interposed between said lower and upper bearings, said cage forming a separate unit supported independently of the said lower and upper bearings, a free roller normally out of contact with the cage supporte-d by said lower bearing and housed within the cage the relative cross-sectional dimensions of said passageway and roller permitting` vertical n'ioveinent of said cage without tilting independently of the roller and regardless of the position oi' the roller longitudinally of the said lower bearing.

ln testimony whereof, I sign my naine.

ARNOLD STUCKI. 

